Robert Philpot of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram gives A Christmas Story a 5-star rating [the same as The Wizard of Oz] and says: "A gem. Peter Billingsley, round-eyed and owllike, plays Ralphie, a little boy whose one Christmas desire is a Red Ryder BB gun...Great vignettes about an ugly lamp, a frozen light pole, a visit to an ill-tempered Santa and the eating habits of piggies make this nostalgic, often hilarious piece the last of the great Christmas movies."
This is my "Ralphie!" Tree.
It has an ill-fated turkey on top;
the infamous leg lamp -- mine is a night light;
fortune cookies like one would get at a Chinese restaurant;
Ovaltine;
and Randy's long, long, winding scarf -- Veronique taught me how to knit at 3:30 12/13/05 so the scarf is still a work in progress, as is the tree.
Memorable Quotes
In scripted order
1a. "You'll shoot your eye out."
1b. Oh no! It was the classic Mother BB-Gun-Block: You'll shoot your eye out. That deadly phrase uttered many timesbefore by hundreds of mothers was not surmountable by any means known to kid-dom.
2. In the heat of battle [with the furnace] my father wove a tapestry of obscenity that -- as far as we know -- is still hanging in space over Lake Michigan.
[Note: Obscenity is implied only.]
3a. Preparing to go to school was like getting ready for extended deep sea diving...My kid brother looked like a tick about to pop...
3b. "I can't put my arms down!"
4a. Now it was serious: A Double Dog Dare. What else was left but a Triple Dare You and finally the coup de grace of all dares -- The sinister Triple Dog Dare. ["I Triple Dog Dare you!"] Schwartz created a slight breach of etiquette by skipping the Triple Dare and going straight for the throat.
4b. "Stuck. Stuck. Stuck! Stuck! STUCK! STUCK! STUCK! Aiiiiiiiiiiiggghhhhh!"
5a. Those who did it, know their blame. And I'm sure that the guilt you feel is far worse than any punishment you might receive.
5b. Adults love to say things like that; but kids know better. We knew darn well it was always better not to get caught.
6. Randy lay there like a slug: It was his only defense. In our world you were either a bully, a toady, or one of the nameless rabble of victims.
7a. Over the years I got to be quite a connoiseur of soap. My personal preference was for Lux, but I found Palmolive had a nice, piquant, after-dinner flavor, heady but with just a touch of mellow smoothness.
7b. Now , I had heard that word at least ten times a day from my old man. My father worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay. It was his true medium.
Note: Profanity is implied only and THAT WORD is not heard.
8a. There has never been a kid who didn't believe, vaguely but insistently, that he would be sticken blind before he was 21 and then they'd be sorry.
8b/7c. "Soap poisoning."
9. Christmas had finally come -- offically. We plunged into the cornucopia quivering with desire and the ecstasy of unbridled avarice.
10. [Insert your own personal favorite to make this a Top Ten List!]
And now! You, too, can own your own Fragile Italian "Major Award"! Buy your own Christmas Story Leg Lamp at The What on Earth Catalog!
Technical and cast info at The Internet Movie Database
Red and Yellow, Black and White,
All are precious in His sight
This corner of the Hundred Acre Wood also celebrates
Hanukkah/Chanukkah
(although we're Gentiles) and
Kwanzaa
(although we're Celtic/Teutonic-American)
...we're human
...and that's reason enough to share family-oriented traditions that uphold the goodness and blessings of God; encourage the uplifting of the human spirit, ideal, and goals; and inspire reaching out to one's God and fellow man.
Besides...
What if we only went to birthday parties when it was OUR birthday?And now a Christmas message from your "Chinese turkey" council:
"Quack! Quack! We dare the Bumpass hounds to steal an emu! Eat more emu! You want a bird? They're a kick-hound-butt bird! Quack! Quack!"
We hope you enjoy your visit.